Customer Reviews

Concertos Italiens: Alexandre Tharaud Joue Bach

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This recording has been in my player for the last few months and has given me utter enjoyment and many a relieved smile since. It was so enchanting, I even forgot to write a review for ionarts.org about it (for the purpose of which I had gotten it a little before the release date). Now that everyone else and their aunt have agreed that this is absolutle superb, I'll chime in: It is! It is likely the best Bach recital on the piano I have heard in many years... heck - I think it's the best Bach recital I have. Musicality and technical ability combine to a wonderfully rewarding, masterful approach in this program of transcriptions *by* Bach. Although all taken from other (Italian - hence the name of the disc, apart from offering the "Italian Concerto") composers - which was the way to learn new and master old styles back then - they all very much have Bach stamped on them. You couldn't ask for more. Look for this disc to be included among the top 10 of 2005. [...]

--- update, 02.Jan 2009 ---

This disc has, if anything, gained in appreciation with me. It is absolutely tremendous and belongs into the Pantheon of Bach recital discs... perhaps even in the Pantheon of piano recital discs. Whether for the jaded completist who already has 4000 recordings or as an introduction to classical music, this recording is bound to impress.

--- update, 15.Feb 2011 ---

This disc is now also part of a mid-budget box that contains all three of Tharaud's baroque recitals (Rameau & Couperin being the other two--both of them, esp. the Couperin, similar must-haves as the Bach). Alexandre Tharaud: "Baroque" - Music of Rameau, Couperin & Bach

Pianist Alexandre Tharaud has an unique gift which allows him the ability to take remarkable command of J.S. Bach's musical styles and dialects.

Throughout this recording of the 'Concertos Italiens', Tharaud's vibrant and varied sonorities perpetually sing, while his contrapuntal acumen leaves no detail unconsidered nor unduly fussed over. The playing follows history and manifestation of the genre as seen through his eyes offering magnificent insight to amateurs, students and virtuoso's.

Tharaud's tempi always seem right for what the music has to express, and textures gorgeously showcase his fluent, utterly natural conversational give and take between the hands. The Italian Concertos were in all likelihood, brought back from Amsterdam by Bach's employer in Wiemar and then transcribed in about 1714.

Tharaud's unique abilities are also found in the way he conveys the "real voice" of Vivaldi. By creating various moods that move from a yearning lament to a measured pulse, non-legato touch, and strong melodic projection he highlights the F major'Italian Concerto's' inner rhythmic motion, decorative lines and lyricism, while his left hand provides a strong decisive underpinning. Even at a brisk tempo, the music speaks clearly and eloquently while every accent, syncopation and cross-rhythmic gesture is perfectly placed. It is in the second movement that Tharaud displays his truly interpretive gift.

Every possibility is explored, but the playing remains a model of musical grace. There is such a sense of inner repose and inclusiveness from start to finish, complimented by impeccable taste and musicianship. The last movement obtains such a wide variety of articulations and a keen ear for harmonic tension and release. As well the icing on the cake is made delicious in the finale, due to the strict pulse he maintains in the "perpetuum mobile" motion.

The expertise Tharaud displays throughout this recording makes you totally aware of the way convention and style are enlivened by Bach's genius. One comes away dazzled by the unique sonorities, imagination and elan of these magnificent transcribed performances.
Pianist Alexandre Tharaud yields to fantasy, allure and the breeziness which Bach would have both admired and wanted.

I personally feel that Tharaud has created a masterpiece that will be treasured, as well as setting a presedent of virtuosic excellence that will indeed challenge the most formidable of concert-pianists to surpass!

Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus. Classical Music Critic

I have at least five different records of the Italian Concertos, including Glenn Gould's. This is by far the most enjoyable, the most vivid, the most thoughtful interpretation. I can't wait for Tharaud's next album.

It is easy to forget that Bach had competition as a Baroque composer (or, indeed, that he wasn't even as famous as this competition in his own time). And so, this disc comes as a pleasant surprise. To hear his own transcriptions of music by Vivaldi (as well as Alessandro and Benedetto Marcello) reveals the contemporary influences on Bach's music. After all, this was how Bach learned to compose - by studying and transcribing the music of his predecessors.

And then he would transcend them. The comparison of Bach to his contemporaries is illustrative not only of Bach's ambition - to capture the full essence of their concerti with an unaccompanied instrument - but also of his progression into the master of the Baroque. The Italian Concerto is clearly the major work on this disc, and this performance is remarkably full of life.

Tharaud creates a striking impression within the first few bars of the concerto, highlighting the high and low voices in turn with independent dynamics and articulations in each hand. The wide range of dynamics, attack and sustain, along with some occasionally fussy rubato, forces you to listen actively to a work so familiar, you've probably started humming it while reading.

The other, lesser works are also realized with technical perfection and unobjectionable music taste. The sound -- miraculously bright and forward, while still capturing the resonant acoustic of the performance venue -- fully meets the high expectations of the Harmonia Mundi label. This disc may be pricey (though, if you've the technology, the Amazon-mp3 album is a steal at mid-price), but it is simply beyond reproach in any regard.
5/5

Some works come along that so speak to us that we play them over and over, never tiring of them. This is such a work. Anyone expecting pure authentic period Bach should look elsewhere. But if you're open the the charms of Johan Sebastian with the grace and lilt of the modern piano and the virtuosity of a great artist, you're in for a treat. To say this music is beautiful is an understatement.

This cd, along with the great Wilhelm Kempf's, is my favorite recording of Bach-transcriptions. Tharaud's playing is full of nuance, precision, and spirit. Also, Harmonia Mundi has provided a truly life-like recording. This cd deserves all the praise it has received on both sides the Atlantic.

Concertos Italiens: Alexandre Tharaudoue Bach is a recording where Alexandre Theraud plays Bach's Concertos Italiens on Steinway piano on this harmonia muni s.a. recording'from 2005. The end reslut is quite enjoyable. However, if one compares it with Gould it is not quite as good. Gould, on the other hand is considered the best interpreter of Bach. The booklet contains of close to 40 pages. The liner-notes have been written by Phillipe Simon and translated into English by Charles Johnston. The booklet also contains photographs of the performer from the time of the recording. Recommended. 4/5.

First off, the music on here is great. Tharaud brings an unusually gentle, almost romantic touch to Bach and the disc is one of those that, as other reviewers have noted, you'll find yourself playing over and over.

The recording, however, has a problem with it. I downloaded this disc through Amazon MP3, so I am unsure if the problem exists on the CD, but in my copy there is a strange audio artifact in every space of silence between notes that sounds like a muffled pop (sorry, that's a the best way I can describe it). I only notice it when listening on quality headphones at relatively high volumes, but it's there and quite distracting. On speakers, especially at low volumes, it's less noticeable. Anyone else have this problem?

*** EDIT - I have been informed (see the comments) that this sound is actually from the piano's pedal mechanism. On the one hand, the piano is mic-ed nice and close, which is good, I suppose, but I find it distracting when listening on my setup (again, good headphones and loud as heck). I find the same audio setup in Tharaud's Satie recording, as well. Oh well-- don't blast it and you probably won't notice.

Adquirí este disco motivada principalmente por los comentarios en Amazon. No me arrepiento ya que me ha proporcionado muchas horas de placer. Aunque ligeramente amanerada, la interpretación de Tharaud es precisa y deliciosa, pudiendo conducir a variados estados de ánimo: meditación, exaltación, ensoñación.
Las piezas en sí son hermosas y la grabación es muy buena. ¿Qué más se requiere para otorgar cinco estrellas?